James Kondo is a jazz enthusiast, but lately he’s been immersed in the sugary sounds of K-pop. As managing director of East Asia for Twitter, the 44-year-old recently spent a week in Seoul explaining the benefits of tweet-based charm offensives to South Korean record company executives, and then it was back to Twitter headquarters in San Francisco. He spoke to the Journal about why he doesn’t fly business class, the draws of Changi and the challenge of living authentically while abroad.

How often do you travel? If not every week, then every two weeks. A minimum of six to 10 days of the month on a plane.

Do you wish your job was more grounded? Nothing beats being there. It’s interesting, because on Twitter you can read the feed anywhere, but you can feel the energy when you’re there and meet the people, like meeting with record label executives to talk about the different ways they can promote their K-pop stars. K-pop…is so cutting edge and regional in a way that other Asian artists haven’t managed to do. Like what Psy has done is unprecedented.

How about frequent-flier plans? I basically take any plane that is the most convenient. I’ve found the creation of Haneda International Airport—it’s probably the best thing that’s happened to travelers from Tokyo in a long time. I try to take anything out of Haneda.

In terms of San Francisco, there’s now a great direct flight that leaves at midnight on JAL. You can do a dinner, then leave a few minutes after midnight and sleep all the way there.

Red-eye flights don’t bother you? It’s midnight, so I really can go to sleep. No pills…I’ve never had trouble sleeping. I don’t do anything. I get on and just tell people not to disturb me. I don’t eat and I don’t watch movies.

When I try to get too much done on a flight it’s noisy and distracting. I get more tired from it. So even if it’s just for a couple of hours, I try to just rest.

It must be easier to do work in business class where you’ve got more elbow room and space to spread your papers out. Actually, Twitter, as a company, all of us try to fly economy. Everyone, including the CEO.

What is your favorite carrier? I like Japanese carriers. My favorite is ANA. Of the Japanese carriers I think ANA is a little bit friendlier and the design aesthetics more modern and clean.

I would put cleanliness first. Sometimes when I’m brushing my teeth and when people haven’t cleaned it there’s like a layer of something and…I don’t know if I want to get into it. A clean washroom is better, without getting into specifics.

About Japan Real Time

Japan Real Time is a newsy, concise guide to what works, what doesn’t and why in the one-time poster child for Asian development, as it struggles to keep pace with faster-growing neighbors while competing with Europe for Michelin-rated restaurants. Drawing on the expertise of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires, the site provides an inside track on business, politics and lifestyle in Japan as it comes to terms with being overtaken by China as the world’s second-biggest economy. You can contact the editors at japanrealtime@wsj.com